Former Presidential Candidate John Katumba has told members of parliament that he is living in fear ever since he contested for presidency in the 2021 elections.
Katumba says that contesting in the elections seemed like a crime as the presidential candidates were constantly insecure.
The Human Rights Committee of Parliament is currently probing rights violation in the 2021 elections. Among the people the committee is interacting with are Presidential candidates. So far; Nobert Mao, Gen Mugisha Muntu, Joseph Kabuleta, Fred Mwesigye, John Katumba, have appeared. Kyagulanyi was yesterday represented in the committee by a team of NUP leaders.
“as if it was a crime for me to contest” Katumba told MPs. He said he is to date still living in fear after the “horror” he witnessed during the campaigns for the elections which were held in January.
He also claims that his house was broken into several times by security and he was constantly trailed by “unknown people” he later got to know were operating on “orders from above.”
Earlier, Katumba refused to start proceedings with the Human Right committee probing electoral violence saying it was not gender sensitive as only women were in the house. He said there are certain things he cannot say in the absence of men. This was later rectified.
MP James Baba also former minister of internal Affairs asked Katumba to present evidence that his life is in danger. Committee members rule Baba out of order saying Katumba has a right to express himself if he is living in fear.
Katumba said if it was not for security agencies who forcefully took away his gargets, he would present he “a lot of evidence” showing violence committed against him more especially an “unknown individual” who trailed him across the campaign trail with “sinister motives.” He accused the individual for the back injury he allegedly sustained during a scuffle with security in Fort Portal.
“He wasn’t in uniform, his actions were weird to the extent of causing injury on my back; that is when I was like ‘who is he?’… I went an extra mile and wrote to the Electoral Commission asking who is that person “above”” he stated.
Katumba stated that the elections were not free and fair as his team struggled to move from place to place while the president Yoweri Museveni had access to state resources.
Katumba called for an Independent Electoral Commission. He also says the Constitution should be amended saying that as it stands , President Museveni is too powerful.
“We can talk and comment but always ‘order from above’ that I don’t know controls everything” he noted.